If I had a penny for the amount of messages I’ve received asking for this chicken enchilada recipe…
This blog post is much over due, but just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. These cheesy chicken enchiladas are made with an easy crock pot shredded chicken filling. Perfect for a family Mexican night or oven ready meal for a meal train.
What you’ll need for this recipe:
The shredded chicken filling requires only 4 ingredients and can be made with very little effort. Here’s what you need for the filling:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- taco seasoning
- salsa (I like chunky salsa for added onions and peppers)
- green chiles
For a little extra flavor, you could always stir in some black beans and/or corn.
I cook my chicken on high for 2 – 2.5 hours, but for a slower, lower cook time, feel free to adjust your crock pot accordingly.
Assembly Tips:
Assembly is by far the most important part of this recipe and quite frankly the only part that an appliance isn’t doing the work for you.
My tip for making the BEST chicken enchiladas is to crisp up the tortillas before filling and rolling. This prevents the tortillas from getting soggy while baking. While they will still taste good, texture is key. No one wants to eat a mushy enchilada.
The easiest way to crisp up the tortillas is to spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Cook for 30seconds – 1min per side until each side is golden brown. Once your tortilla is crispy, add 2-3 tbsp of the shredded chicken mixture and sprinkle with some Mexican blend cheese.
I usually multitask by filling and rolling one crispy tortilla while the next tortilla crisps up in the skillet. It takes about 10 minutes to assemble a full pan of tortillas. Very litter effort for a very delicious meal!
This recipe makes 8-10 enchiladas (pending how much filling you use in each enchilada). I’d recommend using a 13×9 baking dish for a comfortable fit. Otherwise you could use two smaller baking dishes. Often times, I make this recipe for friends. In this case, I give them 6 enchiladas in a disposable foil baking pan and keep a few at home for me to enjoy! 🙂
Tips for baking:
One of the many reasons this recipe is so great is that it can be made ahead of time. You could make the shredded chicken filling a day or two before you’re ready to assemble and eat them. Or you could make the recipe in the morning and bake before dinner.
If you plan on making the shredded chicken filling ahead of time, here are a few tips:
- Shred the chicken while it’s still hot. The chicken will fall apart much easier and soak up all the extra liquid in the crock pot.
- Heat up the shredded chicken in the microwave before assembling. This will ensure the bake time remains the same. Otherwise you’ll likely need to adjust your bake time to make sure the chicken heats up enough in the oven while baking.
If you plan on baking later in the day, here are a few tips to keep the enchiladas nice and fresh:
- Wait to pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas until you’re ready to bake. This will also prevent the tortillas from getting soggy while baking.
- Remove the enchiladas from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to baking to allow them to become more room temperature. This will ensure the center enchiladas will cook fully without having to bake them for much longer. No one wants burnt end enchiladas!!
Favorite toppings:
The cheesy, chicken filling is already full of flavor and don’t require a lot of extra garnish. I like to serve my enchiladas with chopped cilantro, hot sauce, and a scoop of nonfat Greek yogurt / sour cream.
Serve with your favorite Mexican sides and a delicious margarita – my favorite margaritas are these Spicy Blood Orange Margaritas.
I hope you love these enchiladas as much as my friends and family love them!
Colleen’s Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
- crock pot
- nonstick skillet
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken filling
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 packet Taco Bell taco seasoning
- ½ – ¾ jar salsa
- 4.5 oz chopped green chiles
- black beans or corn optional
Chicken Enchiladas
- 1 can enchilada sauce red or green
- 1 package carb balance tortillas
- 2-3 tbsp shredded chicken filling see above
- Mexican blend cheese shredded
- Quesadilla cheese shredded
Garnish
- chopped cilantro
- hot sauce
- greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
Shredded Chicken filling
- Add chicken breasts, taco seasoning, salsa, and chiles to a crock pot. Cook for 2ish hours on high until the chicken is tender.
- Remove cooked chicken from the crock pot. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken breasts. Add chicken back to the crock pot and stir together with remaining juices. Stir in black beans and/or corn (optional).
Assembly
- Pour ¼ enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Crisp up tortilla on each side to prevent the tortilla from getting soggy while baking.
- Remove tortilla from skillet. Fill one side of the tortilla with 2-3tbsp of shredded chicken mixture. Sprinkle a little Mexican cheese on top. Roll up and place in prepared baking dish. Repeat until baking dish is full.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas. Brush sauce over tortillas to evenly coat.
- Sprinkle some quesadilla cheese on top of the enchiladas.
Baking
- To bake immediately, preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese begins to bubble.
- To bake later, remove the chicken enchiladas from the fridge 20 minutes prior to baking. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese begins to bubble.
You may also love:
- Taco Ring
- Carnitas Tacos
- Healthy Sweet Potato Stuffed Tacos
- Mini Wonton Cup Taco Appetizer
- Sheet Pan Nachos
I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made! And don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram if you take any pictures!
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